


Legacy

by GreenNebulae



Series: Bloodbending [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bloodbending, F/F, F/M, Gen, Katara teaching Korra, bloodbending korra, end of season 1 through finale, others make apperances - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 18:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21202211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenNebulae/pseuds/GreenNebulae
Summary: Bloodbender.There may be more,there will be more, and this is something the Avatar cannot fight on her own, even in the Avatar State. Aang fell before it, and now, so has Korra. This is not something Katara can keep doing in secret; she’s already missed this fight and she doesn’t have many more years of fighting in her. It may be a dark forbidden art, but no bending is evil. It doesn’t stop people learning it. It’s negligence to not teach Korra at this point.The worst part is that she knows she is not just teaching a student. She is teaching this to the Avatar, and the bending she hoped would die with her will now live on forever. Her legacy in this world will be being the Avatar’s bloodbending teacher.





	Legacy

_Katara: Bloodbender _

She watches the young Avatar with concern as she makes her way up the hill. She knows what her last adversary was, and it’s something she never thought she’d hear again.

Bloodbender.

There may be more, _ there will be more_, and this is something the Avatar cannot fight on her own, even in the Avatar State. Aang fell before it, and now, so has Korra. This is not something Katara can keep doing in secret; she’s already missed this fight and she doesn’t have many more years of fighting in her. It may be a dark forbidden art, but no bending is evil. It doesn’t stop people learning it. It’s negligence to not teach Korra at this point.

The worst part is that she knows she is not just teaching a student. She is teaching this to the Avatar, and the bending she hoped would die with her will now live on forever. Her legacy in this world will be being the Avatar’s bloodbending teacher. She can only hope that the Avatar will never use it as anything other than a last resort, when the result of not using it is too terrible to name. Katara looks up into the full moon and feels it revitalize her aging bones. She breathes in the sea air and welcomes the energy. Tui and La must approve, because she feels the rush of power in her veins.

“Master Katara, Tenzin said you wanted to see me.” Korra reads her face and places a hand on Katara’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”  
“I still have some things to teach you.” Katara opens before beginning to walk to the cliff. “For this lesson, let’s go to the edge of the island.” Korra follows her in excitement, mentioning how she missed learning about the first of her elements and commenting on how the full moon will help. She’s naïve to the true lesson. Katara is silent on the long walk as she debates how and what to teach.

“There are techniques that only a master waterbender can learn.” Katara says when they reach the edge. She will teach her everything. The art does not have to be dark, or forbidden. It does not even have to be dangerous or painful. It is simply part of their bending. As Uncle Iroh had once told her, no bending is inherently evil.

She starts as Hama did.

“You can find water anywhere there is life.” Korra watches in fascination as Katara draws the water from the air and steals the sweat from their bodies. Without touching the water in the ocean, Katara has gathered enough water to form a large ball in front of her.  
“That’s amazing!”  
“I once used the sweat from my body to escape from a fire nation cell.” Katara tells Korra before spreading her hands out causing the water to evaporate into mist. It always starts in a fire nation cell, Katara muses. “As the Avatar, you will always have an element nearby, but as a waterbender, I had to learn how to find water from everything.”

“Concentrate on the push and pull of the water, something that will be easy to grasp today.” As Korra closes her eyes to search for the water in the air, Katara thinks back to that fateful day. Hama stood before her, a broken woman trying to pass down what she somehow knew would be key to ending the war. Katara initially refused to listen, then resented Hama for teaching her. Hama faced her as an adversary. Now, Hama’s southern legacy of bloodbending has made its way to the next generation of the southern tribe, who is now the Avatar. It will live forever.  
“Like this?” Korra holds a small swirling ball of water in front of her, and Katara nods. 

Next, she moves on to taking the water from places it cannot go back to. Korra has access to all the elements, so being caught without water is less of a fear for her than it was for Katara, but it is a lesson to learn tonight. Katara feels around for a dying tree, and sucks the water from it when she finds it. Korra watches in fascination. Korra excitedly pulls the water from the surrounding grass, and only realizes it can’t go back when she tries to return it.

Katara swallows her hesitation down, and reaches out her bending to feel Korra’s movements in front of her. She could grab the other’s blood now, but all she does is listen. It’s all she’s used this bending to do for decades.

“Water is life.” Katara states. Something Korra has heard countless times before, “and removing water from life often ends that life.” Korra lets the water go, watering the dead grass. “That means there is water wherever there is life.” Korra’s blood is calm and smooth. Her heartbeat is regular.

“Now, this final piece, is not a bending you can use as much as the rest of what I have taught you.” Korra nods, still eager and ready to learn, still naïve as to the true lesson.  
“Is that why we’re out here on the full moon?”  
“Yes. The power from the moon makes it easier to learn and control.” Katara gazes up at the moon, and she feels Korra’s excitement in her heartbeat. She can only hope Korra does not see her in the way she saw Hama. “For a long time, it was thought that this bending could only be performed on the full moon.”  
“Only on the…” Korra trails off, her heartbeat spikes, and Katara knows Korra has finally figured it out. “Bloodbending.”  
“Yes.” Katara finally lowers her head to look back at Korra, and Korra’s heart beats faster.

“Master Katara,” Korra sputters, taking a step back in fear. “You?”  
“Yes.” Katara explains Hama’s story from a more understanding point of view. How this was the only way she had to escape a life of prison, how she was so broken that she thought she was helping by imprisoning others, and how she was so desperate to help end the war she forced a young southern water bender to learn it. Korra listens as she bites her lips and gazes at the moon, knowing Katara could overpower her on a whim despite all her training. Katara doesn’t. She goes on to explain how she used it in rage once, and how a dear friend helped her get over her fear of the art to start to develop it. How she learned to use it so that the other felt no pain. 

“I don’t think I want to learn this.” Korra gently interrupts.  
“I don’t want to teach it.” Katara responds. “There is a great harm that can come from its misuse, but no bending is inherently evil.” Korra grabs her arm and rubs it. “As the Avatar, you must learn to master the elements and use them wisely.”  
“What Amon did to me; I never want to be able to do that to anyone.” She continues.  
“I hoped this bending would die with me. I did not wish to see it misused. Even now, I can only hope that you will never use it as anything other than a last resort.”  
“I don’t want to.” Korra repeats.  
“You will learn.” Katara is firm in her words, but she sighs, “but perhaps not tonight. There is no rush.” There is no war. Korra stares up at the moon. “When I learned, I had many people I could practice on. People I would never harm. We must find someone to practice on, or you can practice on me.”  
“Master Katara!”  
“You cannot hurt me with this.” Katara continues. “Few have tried. None have succeeded.”

…

“Korra says you can bloodbend.” Mako says as he approaches Katara, and Katara warily eyes him.  
“Has she told many people?”  
“No, just Team Avatar.” He says with pride.  
“Well, I suppose that’s who I told as well.”  
“Is it true? How did you learn? Can you teach her? Could you beat Amon if he returns?” He fires off, before catching himself and bowing. “I’m sorry. I know she’s scared of it and I can’t help her.”  
“I know.”  
“I think I should help her learn it.” Katara simply smiles and her fingers feel warm.  
“I had a firebender help me out as well. It is up to Korra, but I think she cares for you just fine.”

…

“I think I’m going to head into town tonight. Hang out with Mako and Bolin?” Korra asks Tenzin as the children start to clean up the dinner plates.  
“As I recall, you have a lesson tonight.”  
“She told you.” Korra groans out. Tenzin smiles.  
“She’s my mother. Not only did she tell me, she told me it is not optional, and we both know what that means.” They laugh until Korra suddenly stops and turns away.  
“Did she tell you everything?”  
“She did.” Tenzin confirms. “She told me things I’m not even sure she told you.” He leans back into the wall. “You need to learn.”  
“Do I really?” She asks, already feeling the ice in her veins from Amon. Aang showed her energybending. Aang restored her bending. Does she need more?  
“If more people learn bloodbending, and that is something you cannot defend against, then you are leaving yourself open to defeat. Worse, you are condemning the next Avatar. My father should have learned this, but he was scared of it as well. Now you must learn it.”  
“I understand.” Korra nods, “it just feels wrong.”  
“No bending,” he starts and they finish the line together, “is inherently evil.”  
“I know,” she continues.  
“Go meditate.” He instructs, and Korra shoots him a look. “Then head out to your lesson. Don’t keep her waiting.”

…

“So what is going to happen to me?” Mako asks, as he stares over the cliff towards the moon. He knows already that he’ll do it, but he’d like to know in advance if he’s in for a lot of pain. He was with Amon, but was that on purpose.  
“Not much, if that’s what you are thinking.” Katara answers. “If you like, before she comes, I could show you what if feels like.”  
“Will it hurt?” He’s afraid of that the most. That she’ll hurt him and end up worse off for it  
“At first it will. With time, she’ll learn how to do finer movements without pain. It took me a few attempts before I felt comfortable even practicing.”  
“I want to try it with you first, that way I’m not nervous for her.” Mako decides.  
“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Mako nods and turns to face Katara, only to find he can’t move his body. He wheezes out in fear and she turns him. Her stance is easy, but her movements are jagged. She shifts, and he squats into a basic stance. “How do you feel?”  
“I feel nothing.” He says as she shifts him into standing. “It’s so weird.” He has nothing to fight against, nothing hurts. It’s his own body he’s thinking against. Like the feeling of wanting to leap when fear holds him in place. He wants, but he won’t.  
“What do you feel?” Mako finally asks.  
“Everything. I feel your heartbeat, the blood moving through your limbs. Oh,” She suddenly leaves his body, and he almost struggles to stay upright as she leaves.

“Korra,” Katara calls and Mako turns to see her stalking up to them.  
“What are you doing?” she asks him, then she turns to Katara.  
“Master Katara, what is he doing here?”  
“I’m here so you could practice.” Mako answers, and Korra panics. Katara can feel the spiking heart rate.  
“Now Korra,” Katara tries,  
“No!” Korra grabs her head, her calm from her meditation evaporating. “I can’t. I won’t. I’m not going to hurt him the way Amon-” Korra pauses in her own fear and Mako reaches out to put a hand out on her shoulder.  
“I was there too, he-he did it to me too.”  
“So why do you want to do this again? I don’t want you to look at me that way.”

“Today, we just listen.” Katara interrupts.  
“Listen.” Korra echoes hollowly.  
“Yes, the way we listened to the river when you were young.” Katara, “That’s all.”  
“That’s it?”  
“That’s it.”  
“It doesn’t hurt me at all.” Mako says. “Not when Katara did it.” Korra turns accusing eyes on her Master, but deflates.  
“What do I do?”

Katara teaches. Korra learns. Mako almost falls asleep. “Tenzin said you learned this in a week.” Korra voices when Katara calls the lesson to a halt.  
“I had a war to stop. You have time. Use it.”

…

“It’s invasive,” Korra says to Asami one night, as she looks out over the full moon. “It feels wrong to do that to someone, even though I could.”  
“What’s so bad about it?” Korra turns to Asami in anger, has she not been listening at all, but Asami’s hands are up in surrender. “It’s just, and I don’t know if this is going to sound crazy, but Mako said he doesn’t even feel it once you’re done, and that you aren’t really hurting him anymore. It you threw a tsunami at him it would’ve been okay by that logic, because you crushed him from the outside and not the inside.”  
“I mean. It’s-” Korra struggles. “He can bend at me too. It’s more fair?”  
“But you’re the Avatar, no ordinary bender was ever going to be in a fair fight with you.” Korra deflates.  
“Maybe I’m not saying it right.” Korra turns into the room, letting the moonlight hit her back. “I’m the Avatar. I have all of this power in me and none of it feels wrong, but when I reached inside of him, I felt like I was taking a part of him I had no right to. It’s a power no one should have,”  
“Maybe,” Asami cedes. “As a non-bender, the power that benders have seems unfair. I used to think no one should have that power. But people do.” Korra sighs, “and to be fair, you are the Avatar, you have this crazy spirit power to balance the world. You literally just turned into a giant spirit to save the world. Who should know it if not you?”  
“Yeah. I guess so.” Korra shrugs. Asami frowns but decides this is a conversation for a time other than 3 in the morning.  
“I think I’ll join you next time, on the next moon.” Asami yawns, and Korra takes the hint, getting ready to leave her room.

“I don’t know about that. I could hurt you.”  
“You really couldn’t.” Asami smiles. “Good night Korra.”  
“Good night.”

…

“Mako won’t be coming tonight.” Asami greets as Korra makes her way to the training spot.  
“Is he okay?”  
“He’s fine, and Katara already told me what we’d be doing today.”  
“She didn’t tell me.”  
“Mako has been still, he lets you control him, that won’t be what they do.”  
“They’ll fight me.” Korra nods.  
“That’s what I’m here for.” Asami grins.  
“I don’t want to fight you.”  
“That’s why Korra isn’t here, she wants us to see what feels right, and only do what you’re comfortable with. She doesn’t want you to feel forced.”  
“It is forced.” Korra mumbles, but she settles into her stance anyway. Asami runs at her and they start to spar. Korra does nothing but spar and listen, ignoring the call of the moon to do more.

…

“How is training going?” Jinora asks Korra as she steps out of the rotating panels. She slumps.  
“I hate it,” Korra starts, and Jinora listens as Korra vents.  
“You don’t actually have to.” Jinora offers. “You can learn as little or as much as you want. You can learn about it for healing, or for combat, or just to know it.” Korra sighs, then nods.  
“I have to learn it though, because I’m the Avatar.”

“I know how to knit.” Korra turns to her in confusion.  
“I’ve never seen you so much as sow,”  
“Just because you learn something, doesn’t mean you have to do it. We each have to make our own path.” Jinora says, sagely, and Korra can’t believe how wise she is for someone so young. Jinora twirls her arms around her and flings them forward, spinning the panels in front of them. “Just figure out what you want yours to be.” Jinora walks away, and Korra stares at the spinning panels. She takes a breath and moves forward, spinning into the panels, finding comfort in an element she used to loathe.

She will learn it for the next Avatar, only because the teacher is here now. She will not use this.

…

“I had the power to stop him.” Korra confesses in a healing bath, as Katara tries to heal a body Zaheer has broken. “If I had bloodbent,” uncharacteristically raw, Korra confesses, “but I’d always seen it as too evil to use. I’d see it as Amon.”  
“He was stopped.” Katara answers, unintentionally triggering Korra.  
“Oh, but not by me?”  
“It’s often a team effort-”  
“I almost died!”  
“You-”  
“I know I could’ve, maybe I should’ve, but you can’t blame me for being scared of it!”  
“I’m not,” Katara’s calm only infuriates Korra.  
“You are too! I mean you could do this and you never did!”  
“Korra,” Katara warns.  
“That’s right, isn’t it? You can’t lecture me on not using bloodbending if you never did in the war!”

Katara stops, and is silent.

“Unless, you did.” Korra’s anger seems to momentarily dissipate. “You never-no one ever-”  
“I think it’s time for an old woman to take a break.” Katara stands. “One of the other healers will be here shortly. Be sure to treat them with respect.” She leaves, and Korra is silent as she sinks into the water.

She closes her eyes and calls out to Aang.

…  
__  
“We're trying to help!” Katara says.  
“Then, when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I'd love to hear it!” Aang begins storms away.  
“What if I had one?” Katara whispers and Aang stops in his tracks. Everyone turns to look at her. Zuko stands.  
“Bloodbending.” He voices, “Victory without a battle.” 

_Aang is conflicted, but at least they are trying._

…  
__  
“Katara, we can find another way,” Aang pleads but Toph crosses her arms, elbowing Aang in the side and he quiets. Katara twists her fingers and Zuko’s whole body shifts unnaturally.  
“Stop!” Zuko cries out, and Katara drops him into the sand. There is silence. Zuko collapses and Katara sobs.  
  
…  
__  
“Promise me you’ll never do it again.” Aang says, knowing that killing Azula must’ve been hard for her. Katara takes a deep breath  
“Are you mad at me?” She asks.  
“No, Katara,” he smiles. “You did what you thought you had to do. Just like Sokka, Suki, and Toph did. Just like I did. I’m disappointed, but that’s okay. As long as you promise never to do that again.”  
“I promise.” Katara agrees  
“Good. Bloodbending is evil.” Aang states, “and you’re so much better than that.” Katara’s shocked eyes look up to look at Aang’s earnest face.  
“No bending is inherently evil.” She says and she walks away before he can respond  
  
…  
__  
Aang returns to the Avatar state, but no Avatar knows how to bloodbend or escape bloodbending, and the Avatar State continues to crumble. 

_“Stop!” Katara screams and Yakone drops Aang, who falls in a heap. From his spot on the floor, he watches his wife step over him. He struggles to breathe._

_“Master Katara,” Yakone mocks. “Your precious Avatar couldn’t stop me, what makes you think you can?” He brings his arms out and jerks his fingers. “I shall end you both here and now.” Katara moves her foot outwards and brings her arms out, fingers jerking._  
“My bending is stronger than yours.” She announces.  
“You-” He cuts himself off as his arms freeze in place. “You’re a bloodbender.” Katara says nothing, just shifts her stance and brings her arms down. Katara makes him kneel in front of her. 

_Aang stands up as he watches Katara silently restrain Yakone. He made her promise never to bloodbend again, he pushed for it to be illegal, and yet here it is, saving the day. Again. He closes his eyes and calls forth the Avatar State._  
  
…

Korra leaves. She is on her own in the Earth kingdom. She’s all powerful as the Avatar, with the power to do nothing.

…

One move.

One simple move.

Korra sees it coming, that Kuvira is metalbending that piece to come up and hit her. She can’t tell if it will stab or throw her, but she knows she’s already lost to Kuvira once, and too much is at stake to risk it. She’s in the middle of summoning an air gust, which will throw Kuvira back. It’s not enough, it’s not fast enough. She does not think of Amon, but she thinks of Katara. She thinks of Asami. She jerks her other wrist, listening just enough, and Kuvira’s strike goes wide. Korra continues her air strike and pushes Kuvira back.

Kuvira spins around, calling metal from the railing around her, and Korra continues to fight.

…

“I never said thank you.” Korra says, as she approaches Katara.  
“It’s okay. I never thanked Hama.”  
“Thank you.”

Underneath the moon, Korra and Katara stare out over the ocean, letting the moon fuel their senses. They breathe in sync, and they reach out to listen to each other’s heartbeats.

_Korra and Katara: Bloodbenders_


End file.
